The Bond
by SagesMind
Summary: After 3 years of fighting, Hawkmoth finally seems to be getting the upper hand on Ladybug and Chat Noir. However, Chat seems to have a solution. One that makes Ladybug worry and finds her self plummeting down a path she never thought she'd take. Rating M for possibilities (I don't own anything related to said Miraculous series)
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hi everyone. Call me Sage. I'm a little new to all this(writing that is), but I've been holding off for far too long and I'm hoping to get started. This is my very first fanfic and I hope you all find it to your liking. I'm looking to make a series out of this, but I'd like to gauge the interest first. If you like it, I'll get to working on more.

I'd also like to thank my BETA, whom shall remain unnamed at this point. I can't thank her enough for giving me that final shove to start writing. Here's to a hopefully successful future!

* * *

Three years…. three long years since receiving the ladybug miraculous. Three years since meeting Chat Noir. Three years of fighting Hawkmoth and his akumatized victims, thwarting his attempts of taking the miraculous we carry, and keeping Paris' citizens safe.

Marinette couldn't believe how much time had passed but upon reflection, it felt so much longer than it seemed. In the three years that had passed she had been able to keep her two lives separate and her identity a secret, though a certain alley cat often tried to pry. But as time went by, Chat was a constant presence in her life both in and out of the mask, as he frequently visited her civilian half after the incident with Evillustrator, and began to make her question why she continued to withhold her identity from him. Why would it be so bad for the one person she trusted most to share the one secret that separated them from being any closer? No more having to carefully think of how much to say as they patrolled the city, or having to worry about hiding from each other after a battle.

Someone jostled her slightly, jerking her from her thoughts. She turned to locate the source, and then all thought processing went out the window. Staring down at her were a pair of great emerald pools, which she took no time at all to drown herself in. She barely noticed Adrien saying something to her and shook her head to focus herself again. "I'm sorry, c-could you s-say that again?"

He smiled softly at her, just about breaking her focus in the process. "Class ended a few minutes ago, and I had come back to get some notes I had forgotten, when I noticed you still sitting there," he explained.

Startled, she looked around to find the class completely empty. She looked back to the boy next to her and gave a nervous laugh while avoiding his gaze before saying, "Guess I got lost in thought. T-Thanks f-f-for checking on m-me, it was r-really kind of you."

His brow rose slightly for a moment at her stuttering. After all this time, he still made her so nervous; even though she was hoping the feeling would fade, he could always make her heart race and thoughts scatter. ' _Kind of how I feel when I'm around Chat'_ she thought absently, then almost jumped out of her seat, ' _Wait… When did I start thinking that way about_ **him** _?_ '

Brow still raised at her silence, the look in his beautiful eyes turned from questioning to one of concern. "Are you alright? Is there something you want to talk about?" he asked.

She was about to reject the offer, but thought that this may finally be her chance to get closer to him. So, digging for the courage that seemed to always be there when she transformed. She looked back up to him, a weak smile attempting to form on her lips. "I just have a lot on my plate right now. With trying to keep up with school, helping mama and papa with the bakery, and doing some projects on the side for a little money; I guess it's gotten a little overwhelming." She felt proud that she made it through without a single stutter and mentally patted herself on the back.

Adrien looked down, nodding in thought and understanding. He pulled his phone out and tapped it a few times. "Do you want to go for a walk?" he asked, looking back up at her, "My schedule's pretty clear today, and you look like you could use some air. Plus, I wouldn't mind stretching my legs before going back to the confines of my own home."

Now she panics. _He wants to go on a walk with me? Is he just being nice, or is it pity? And why did he seem so sad when talking about his home?_ She shakes her head from the thoughts, but keeps the last in her mind to inquire about later. "Sure, but why don't we stop by my place first and drop our bags off?" she says before she can start thinking about it again.

He nodded to her while letting his father know what he would be doing, and she collected her things. They exited the school, heading for the Dupain-Cheng bakery. As they made their way down the street, they fell into an awkward silence. So Marinette looked around to take in her surroundings.

The weather had begun to turn cold as autumn progressed, but not yet cold enough to bundle. So the light jacket she wore with sleeves only reaching just past her elbow and capris were still tolerable with the current temperature. She noticed the leaves were changing color as well, becoming a beautiful palette of reds and golds. Added together with the evening sunlight set a picturesque scene before them. She smiled at the view before her, losing herself in it.

Adrien cleared his throat, causing her to turn her head to look at him. His face seemed oddly flushed, but she shrugged it off as they rounded the corner of the street, the bakery now in sight.

"S-so," he began, then cleared his throat again at the small crack in his voice. Now it was her turn to raise an eyebrow "You said you were doing some projects on the side? What did you mean by that?"

"Well, I've been making some outfits by request and shipping them out. After a few shirts and dresses I made for Alya, people began asking where she got them. When she started telling people I made them, I started getting requests. At first they were only in person, but then Alya posted some stuff about them on one of her blogs and I started getting some by email. It's still a small group and they are mostly the same people, but I'm able to get some money out of it, so that's a plus."

He smiled brightly at her and said, "I'm glad you're getting recognized for your _obviously_ amazing talent. Maybe I can speak to my father about commissioning you for an outfit. He was very pleased with your work from the competition a few years ago," and leaned conspiratorially "which is not easy to do, **believe** me. I'm sure he'd be happy to see your designs again."

Marinette blushed at the praise given by her fashion idols son, "I wouldn't go that far, and I don't want you to go out of your way for anything. I'm sure he has plenty of experienced designers, instead of someone like me." she says as she looked away sadly.

She noticed Adrien was taken off guard by the sudden mood change in the way his eyes widened, and he quickly replied that she was definitely worth being asked for a commission. "Like I said before, my father loved your work and I would be surprised if he would refuse an opportunity to see such a talent slip through his fingers," he added. And much to her embarrassment, the blush returned.

They had stopped just outside the bakery to finish their talk and Marinette took the window of pause to slip inside and greet her parents, who were sitting at the counter seeming to be preoccupied with scrubbing something on the counter. "Hi mama, hi papa! Adrien and I are going to go for a walk so we're leaving our things here for now."

"Hi M. Dupain, Mme. Dupain-Cheng. I hope you don't mind me borrowing your daughter for a bit," he nodded politely to her parents.

"Not at all!" boomed her father. "But please, call me Tom," he added with a smile.

"Take all the time you need!" her mother said, smiling slyly. "And you can call me Sabine. Now, would you like something warm to nibble on while you walk? You look absolutely starved," her mother added after looking at the thin boy before her. She turned and pulled out some freshly baked croissants.

"Momma! Papa! Don't embarrass me!" Marinette whined at her parents.

Adrien told her it was fine, but seemed to be hesitate for a moment before taking a smaller one to nibble on. He gave a quick thanks and they excused themselves, starting up the stairs to the apartment above to drop off their bags.

While Adrien fell back as they entered the living area on the upper floor, Marinette proceeded to her room up the stairs and placed her bag down next to her desk when a red dot suddenly appeared in her vision. "Oh my goodness, Marinette!" exclaimed Tikki. The little kwami seemed more jovial than normal. "Adrien asked you to go on a walk! And you've been talking to him without stuttering! I'm so PROUD of you!" she gushed at her charge.

Marinette blushed at the praise and tucked her hair behind her ear nervously. "We'll see how long that lasts."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous. You've been doing fine this far and I'm sure yo-"

They heard a knock at the hatch leading to her room and Adrien asking if he could come up. She froze as she looked above her desk at the collage of him plastered all over. "C-could you wait in the living room for me? I'm just putting on something a little warmer." She called. after hearing him agree, she breathed a sigh of relief, narrowly avoiding a _chat_ astrophe. She paused, then face palmed at the awful pun she made, even if it was in her head. ' _I've been hanging around that alley cat a little too much.'_

After a moment of changing to stick with what she told Adrien earlier, she joined him in the living room. He took a moment to praise her selfmade outfit as she appeared down her stairs, telling her that this was exactly why he was going to ask his father about the commission.

She hastily brushed the compliments aside to keep from falling back to a stuttering pool on the ground. "So now that we've talked about me, let's talk about you," Marinette said as they headed down and out the bakery's back door.

Adrien gave her a sidelong glance, his body seemed to tense in what seemed to be a sign of nervousness. "What do you mean?"

"Well, earlier you didn't seem very happy with the idea of heading home. Is there anything YOU wanted to talk about?"

He looked away, contemplating what to tell her. After a moment she had almost said he didn't need to answer, but right when he seemed ready to talk they heard a loud crash followed by people screaming and running down the street. She fell into a defensive stance out of instinct. ' _Why does this_ **ALWAYS** _happen!'_ She thought to herself, then realized what she was doing and corrected herself before he noticed.

"Get back inside and make sure your folks are alright," Adrien stated and started down the alley between the buildings, his voice taking a tone of authority she rarely heard from him. "I'm going to make sure everyone nearby isn't in any danger." He rushed off before she could get a word in edgewise.

Frustrated by being left behind so suddenly, she took a quick sweep of the alley and transformed when no one was watching. After looking around the block to find him nowhere in sight and assuming he found a place to hide, she began to swing down the street toward the source of the chaos.

After reaching the akumatized victim and landing on the corner of the street closest to it, she heard a familiar taunt from behind. "Been waiting for you Bugaboo." She barely managed to stop her fist from sending him two blocks away.

"Now, is that any way to greet your one true love?" he teased as he put a hand on her fist and slowly lower it.

She ignored the faint flutter in her chest as she took in his relaxed form leaning against the building. A mischievous smile gracing his lips. "Getting more bold by the day, aren't you Chaton?" she asked, forming a smirk of her own.

"Only when good luck flies my way," he replied, winking at her. "Let's take care of this, shall we?" Then he jumped into the fold to hold the akuma at bay while Ladybug assisted here and there, attempting to formulate a plan to get the akuma.

After what seemed like hours of fighting, and a few too many close calls, they succeeded in cleansing the akuma and righting the damage done by the victim.

While standing on a rooftop watching the scene they had just left, ladybug catches Chat Noir's attention. "Is it just me, or do the akuma seem to be getting stronger?"

He nodded in a morose agreement. "We barely managed this one, and it hasn't been the first recently."

"If this keeps up we won't last much longer."

After a moments hesitation, he decided to say, "I've been trying to work some things out, and I think I may be on a lead to Hawkmoths' Identity, but I'm not one hundred percent sure and want to check into it before I get our hopes up."

The statement surprised her as much as it confused her. She thought he would let her in on something this big. Voicing her offense at not being included in this earlier, he tells her he wanted to be sure of it before coming to her to move any further.

While the response pacified her, she was still concerned for him. She began to care for him more and more as the days passed, almost as much as she had come to care for Adrien. He was still so far away. Chat was right here - and had been here for some time - waiting to be more. With him attempting something that may put him in danger of facing hawkmoth, it gave her resolution to speak. "I've been thinking…" she began, catching his attention with the thoughtful and serious tone as she spoke. "Maybe with things the way they are, it would better help us both if we knew each other….. without the masks."

Watching his expression go from confusion to shock, she was unsure what his response would be. His ring chimed its first warning, advising him of the oncoming revert to his civilian self. Gulping, Chat looked at her closely, even going as far as to move close and stare into her sparkling bluebell eyes, making her feel slightly nervous. But that all went away after staring into his eyes, finding only calm in the luminescent green orbs before her. "Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked, the question coming out as barely a whisper.


	2. Chapter 2

Well guys, here it is. I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while. Life got a little crazy and I lost track of everything I had going on. Here's the next chapter of the set, it has a little more "action" in a way but not overboard. It's my first time writing something like that so I hope you guys enjoy it.

Please R&R as most any feedback is helpful for future parts. My beta is an excellent source and teacher, but I wouldn't mind getting another viewpoint or two.

Thanks for reading, I'll try to get the next out a little sooner!

* * *

Adrien couldn't believe it. He didn't understand it… It just didn't make any **sense**!

On the roof, not a block from where they had just defeated their most recent foe, stood the woman of his dreams and fantasies. The greatest of said fantasies being that she would reveal who she was to him, to finally know the woman under the mask. And she just said the words he was about to give up on **ever** hearing.

After two years of waiting, he had begun to second guess his feelings, wondering if what he felt was simply a hormonally overcharged infatuation. He spent weeks mulling over all the encounters they ever had, thinking about how he felt when he was around her, and what he loved about her. The way her smile lit up the dark void inside him from the emotionless lifestyle he had to live at home. How her kindness seemed to seep out of her and into the very air around her, like a warm blanket being softly draped around you.

The light and warmth she brings is what captured his sight and held it for so long. And it's what kept him going through all these years. The memory of her smile held the darkness - building inside for so long - at bay. Though, when he thought about it, he noticed that her smile somehow reminded him of someone else. A certain young woman he had seen nearly every day since he started school. A young woman with the same kind bluebell eyes and midnight blue hair.

The thought had startled him at the time, but as he thought it over… he couldn't seem to shake the feeling that it was right. So Adrien watched her; waiting to see any coinciding actions, any movements or mannerisms, any sign at all that he was right.

After days and weeks passed, he did not only believe it, he could see it. The way she could take command of a situation in an instant, and have it work in everyone's favor - except for a certain boisterous blonde woman. The way she would stand up and comfort her friends whenever they were in need. She - Marinette Dupain-Cheng - was his Lady through and through. From that day forward, he promised to make sure she was safe and happy.

In every fight he was always there to take the brunt of the damage, taking great pains - both literally and figuratively - to make sure she wasn't hurt. And during school he would always be close at hand, as Chloe would frequently accost her - verbally, for the most part - and he would be there to defend and protect her. Marinette's surprise each time he came to her rescue was enough to please him, but he never pressed the opportunity to be closer to her. Adrien thought if he tried, it would lead to her discovering his identity, and he did **not** want her to think it was simply because she was ladybug that he helped her.

This had been about….. Ten months ago. Adrien knew Marinette would never be ready to tell him who she was behind the mask. And though he pressed her before, he lessened his pursuits bit by bit. Though he never stopped flirting, that was something he would never give up on. Over the years, he even notice her usual scoff and eye-roll soften to a small smile as her eyes simply looked down and away.

But standing on that rooftop - watching the woman he never thought he could have - suddenly say the words he only dreamed of hearing, was making his head spin. He walked the few feet over to her, looked her dead in the eye searching for any lapse or falter, any indication that would justify this hallucination. But there was none. Her gaze held steady, looking deep into his eyes.

So as one last precaution he asked, "Are you sure you want to do this?" His nervousness making it barely come out as more than a shaky whisper, hearing his ring beep as he attempted to calm himself.

She finally looked away. She seemed like she was thinking, carefully picking her words. She even took a few breaths before looking back in his eyes. "I've been thinking about this for weeks now. Wondering what it would be like to finally talk to someone freely. Not having to worry about hiding myself, or giving half of the truth to everyone. Finally being able to be wholly honest. And even more than that," she paused taking a long sigh, "I've come to realize how much you're there for me, even if you never knew it was me you were helping.

"You always appeared from out of nowhere whenever I was hurt, whether physically or emotionally, and supported me through it to the end. You would be there to protect me before I would even realize I was in any danger," she continued, but she didn't notice Chat's expression had softened, and he had taken a step back.

"It always seemed strange how quickly you reacted, but it also amazed me -"

"Milady," he called out, but she was on a roll. Her emotions seemed to tumble out of her.

" - I don't know how I hadn't noticed how much you cared for me before. I always thought it was just a mutual assistance as my partner or that you were just an incorrigible flirt -"

"Ladybug~" he spoke again.

" - But after a while I began to notice how my heart always fluttered when you smiled at me. And how I was looking forward to your awful puns, because they still made me feel better on a bad day -"

Finally he was getting a little frustrated, and before he could stop himself he called her again, "MARI!"

They both stiffened in surprise, but it had worked. **Now** she was looking at him. And the look on her face told him she did not mishear him. "Shit," he muttered under his breath, his hands moving to rake through his untamed hair.

Marinette just stood there for a moment, frozen in shock at what he called her. "Y-y-you just s-said my name," she stated, her beautiful eyes still open wide. "How long have you known?" she asked, her eyes seeming to pierce into his very soul and her face taking on a determined demeanor.

Adrien hesitated a moment, but she wasn't letting this go.

"How. Long. Have. You. **Known**?" she asked again, her tone becoming almost hostile, but the shaking did not go unnoticed.

Then he sighed as his head dipped forward, his eyes suddenly covered by his shaggy locks. "Almost a year," he stated.

She balked at the response for a moment. Not quite believing it to be true. She stepped toward him with a hand raising to point at his chest, "If you knew who I was….. Why didn't you **tell** me?!" she asked with a small note of incredulity.

"How could I?" he responded defensively, taking a step forward as well. "I was always worried that if I tried to approach you about it, you would be angry, thinking that I had followed you after a fight, after you turning me down so many times. When in truth, I had just thought about what made me fall in love with you, and I began noticing the similarities!" Now it was **his** turn to spill it all out. "I was looking back to make sure that my feelings for you were real, because I kept asking myself why I kept trying to pursue you, even when you were never ready to return my feelings. And to be honest, I had begun to give up; to think that I would never have a chance to be with you the way I always dreamed about.

"And that's when I noticed how weird I felt around you, as Marinette. The same things you were just telling me, aside from my **pawsome** jokes," he said with a little smirk, "I was looking forward to seeing your smile. Just waiting to be around you and feel the warmth and joy you always seem to emanate. It was starting to be what helped me make it through the day.

"And when I finally made the connection between you, I was overjoyed beyond compare. The women I had come to love over the years were the **same person**. It was incredible! Never in a million years did I believe I could find someone as amazing as you. Someone so strong, confident and graceful; but also a little clumsy, and bashful. Someone who was so happy, it was hard to find a sliver of sadness or despair around you."

He paused a moment in his confession to look at her eyes again, the azure sea of emotions passing so quickly, it was hard to gauge her reaction. Then, Adrien decided to finish his audible soliloquy. "And since I knew you wouldn't be ready, I decided to do what I could to protect that beautiful smile. I would do what I could to keep that beacon of kindness and happiness in your eyes shining bright….. And I hoped…. That one day you would come to me and say those words. I just hoped this hasn't changed your mind." He heard his ring beep for the third time, causing him to look around for protection, just in case.

He turned to one side and saw a chimney broad enough for him to be concealed and began to make his way to it, but stopped short as a small hand firmly grabbed his wrist. He turned his head slowly to see a red and black dotted hand ceasing his progression. Dragging his eyes up her arm and to her face, he saw disbelief most prominent in her expression.

"You love me?" she asked, her eyes - wide before with frustration and betrayal - were now filled with wonder and disbelief at what he said. "All this time…. You've been in love with me?"

He turned to her - and before he could second-guess himself - pulled her into a strong embrace. "How could I not love you?" he whispered into her ear "You're perfect, in every way I could ever hope for."

She stiffened for a moment, then slowly returned his hug by wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in the crook of his neck, tightening her grip as if he were the only thing tethering her to the ground. "Who are you?" She whispered back.

Finally, the last warning sounded from Adrien's ring and a blinding green flash surrounded them. He loosened his grip on her and playfully said, "Why don't you look and find out?"

Her head stayed looking down for a moment, still seeming unsure if she should tilt her head to see his face. He felt her body tense, then ever so slowly, her head began to rise. Marinette seemed to be taking in every detail on her way up. Her vision was passing over his shoes, which were stylish and looked brand new; up to his clean and pressed pants, closing in on his shirt and hesitating once again. She studiously observed his attire, seeming to recognize the ensemble, and all at once looked up into his face.

The earlier disbelief he observed had shifted, growing into an almost frantic astonishment. She jumped back a few feet, suddenly cutting her touch away from him. After waiting so long to hold her in his arms, the disconnection was somewhat intense. Though Adrien waited for her. He knew this wasn't going to be easy, but he had to try, damn it!

Finally finding her voice, she spoke. His name escaping her lips in a way that made his whole being quiver with so many emotions. ' _ **Down**_ _boy!'_ He commanded internally at his suddenly rising need, as it definitely **rose** to the occasion.

Then she did something he did not expect. She took a step…. **Towards** him. She was closing the distance between as she spoke again, "Adrien?" she said more confidently, the effect of his name on her lips had not dulled in the least from the first time. And when she was close enough, her hand reached out, finding its resting place on his cheek. "I can't be dreaming," she mumbled mostly to herself, then looked into his eyes.

He closed his eyes and smiled softly, his hand covering hers as he turned into the touch, reveling in the dream come true. "If we are, I don't think I could bear to wake up," he said, "Cause then I would never have the courage to do this again."

"What do yo- mph!" Her question was instantly cut off, as he had captured her in another embrace and enveloped her lips with his own. The initial shock she had was clear, but much to his satisfaction she began to return the kiss - and God help him - she even deepened it. Her body pressing further into his, her tongue making traces on his lips before being given entry to explore his mouth.

They were so tangled up in each other, it was hard for him to tell where he ended, but he **knew** where she began. His hands gave firm testament to that, as they (by no coincidence) were gripping her rear; and they did not stop there.

The passion of their kiss only grew. His hands roaming her body, etching every supple curve, every toned and taut muscle to his memory. His body exploding with sensations he had never felt before. And when Marinette moaned a sound of pleasure - **MOANED** \- he had all but lost it.

Adrien quickly broke the kiss, reached down to her mid-thigh and lifted her up. A squeak of surprise escaped as he spun them around and gently - but still with some force - pressed her against the chimney he had gone to hide behind a moment ago. He kissed her as soon as he settled into place, still holding her up by her legs and pressing his hips into the free space below. The bulge that was only slightly present before returned in full force, raging against the confines of his clothes.

Adrien attempted to seek some - or **any** \- kind of relief from the pressure. And as he pressed forward, only looking to support Marinette from falling, found himself grinding against her. She moaned into his mouth while he continued his unplanned gyration, only causing him to move a little more forcefully.

In a breath between kisses Marinette gasped out, "OH. MY… GOD!" Her voice breathy and quiet as they couldn't seem to stop. Her legs had wrapped around Adrien, bringing him closer and matched his movements with her own. They dove back in to the intense make out session, both attempting to release years of what seemed like unrequited love and pent up frustration.

When they had at last parted their heated exchange, he noticed she had dropped her transformation, standing before him now as Marinette once again. He had no idea where his kwami was though, or what may have happened to hers, but was too occupied at the moment to give much thought to it.

And it seemed he didn't have to, as someone was clearing their throat to gain the new couple's attention. They both jumped, Marinette crushing her body into Adrien out of surprise. Turning their heads around to find the source of the disturbance, their eyes settled on two floating figures. Plagg floated a few feet away with a slightly annoyed look on his face, while beside him was another kwami he had never seen. It was all red, except for a large black dot just above and between her eyes.

They floated up to the duo while Plagg spoke up, "Well, it's about time you two found out. I've been dying of frustration waiting for this to happen."

Tiki lightly smacked him on his arm. "Now you be nice Plagg, things like this are not something you rush," she chided the black kwami, "and do you remember the last time we forced a reveal?"

The black diety shuddered at the memory, then turned back to their holders. "Okay, okay, I'll behave. Nice to finally introduce myself. I'm Plagg."

The red one sidled up to Plagg, whom Adrien noticed had absently draped his arm around her to pull her closer. "And I'm Tiki. I'm so happy you two have finally opened up to each other. It's been causing Marinette quite a bit of distress the past few weeks," she said as an introduction.

They both remained quiet for a moment, taking in their kwami's introductions, when suddenly understanding dawned on Adrien. "You both knew who we were, didn't you?" Marinette gasped after hearing him ask this, and narrowed her eyes at the two immortals.

Tiki giggled, "Yes, we knew who you both were. We are beings of balance, and besides our roles of keeping each other in check, we are so closely intertwined that we are able to know where the other is at all times."

Plagg turned back to Tiki and pulled her to him in a warm embrace. "And I cannot begin to tell you how _pawfully_ lonely I've been without you," he said kissing her cheek, while she groaned from the pun.

Marinette giggled and turned back to Adrien who was still wrapped around him. "Now I know where you get it from."

"I taught him everything he knows. Most of my holders tend to get my humor from the transformation, but I take pride in how this kitten has adapted to my personality so wholly," Plagg replied. Adrien cringed slightly at the pet name.

"Don't you start grooming me again. I get enough of that already," Adrien stated with exasperation. Turning to Marinette he added, "He acts like I'm a little kitten he sired. While it can feel overbearing at times, he's cared for me more than my own father has." Turning back to Plagg he said, "There were a couple times I slipped and called **him** dad."

The black kwami rolled his eyes, but a smile remained on his face. And when he looked back at Adrien, there was only love and affection for the boy.

Tiki explained that he tended to adopt his favorite holders. Taking them under his wing, in a sense. It made Adrien's heart warm in a way that he rarely experienced. He was immensely pleased to be considered one of Plagg's favorites, and he assumed it was obvious how he felt, because the deity floated away from his love and over to his holder.

"You have done a great job as Chat Noir, and I couldn't be more proud of you. Just keep up the good work, my little kitten." Even as small as he was in comparison to Adrien, Plagg ruffled the boys hair.

Tiki came up next to them and gave him a serious look. "And if you like to consider yourself his kitten," she began, then her features softened, "then that makes you mine as well."

Adrien was shocked by the gods' words, and wasn't sure how to react. But as Tiki floated up and snuggled against his cheek, pouring all of her affection into the contact. He held her close, bringing one hand up to gently press her farther into his cheek.

All the affection Adrien never received from his father, and lost from his mother after she disappeared, seemed like it was coming back through the two kwamis. Plagg leaned into his hair as he kept Tiki where she was, and Marinette held him, bringing them all in for a loving embrace. The emotions that were building up inside him were beginning to be more than he could handle. The mask of perfection and control that he almost constantly wore was starting to crack.

" _ **This**_ _,"_ he thought to himself, his eyes burning as fresh tears pooled up inside, " _This must be what it feels like to have a family."_

Finally the dam broke, the salty water sliding down his cheeks past Tiki to fall onto Marinette's shoulder. He buried his head in the crook of her neck, not letting any of the three go. The new-found family stayed huddled close for a few moments, until Adrien was able to calm down.

He lifted his head from where it rested, thinking back on his plan for the future. He felt a solid resolve form within himself for what he needed to do. " _I will protect my family, no matter the cost,"_ he thought as he looked into the setting sun. Its light painting a beautiful canvas across the Parisian sky.


End file.
